Dear Partner in the ministry,

This month I want us to focus on areas of ministry success and its adversaries. Prison ministries are one of the most fruitful fields of Harvest you can ever work in, the crusade we just did reminds me of how rewarding it can be. We saw over 60 conversions at the altar for Christ, this is the gospel I believe in and am touched by. We are only effective because of Christ and his desires and abilities, I recognize this very much.

There were many gifted individuals with us, who worked in the barracks, played music and preached. It was truly a time of cultivating ground that has been sowed upon for years and years. There is such a rotation in some of these prisons that the Harvest can continuously manifest itself. It takes time to cultivate this ground, I do not fully believe one service alone can do it; the very best is when you have the combination of a ministry team that will talk to them in their barracks and then meet corporately in the sanctuary or chapel. This truly prepares and softens the hearts to listen.

We do face many enemies in these places; they come in the form of hate religions, gang activists and almost any other influence you can imagine. Even white supremacy is once again on the rise in the name of God, recruiting right wing extremist with messages to anti abortionist, pro family, against all inordinate affection or gay and lesbian agenda, they no longer have to yell out on the court steps but now reach out in a more subtle way. (My conversation with them was very enlightening and thought provoking while in the prison.)

Many prisoners and citizens are exposed to their message, convinced by their passion, and seduced by their simplistic answers to complex social issues or the minorities they believe create these problems. With time and repetition they fuse their belief in God and their agenda into the values shared by the mainstream of society. Where they used to rely upon violence their new manipulation into the political arena and extreme radical conservatives has allowed this to creep once again into the social arena, it is breeding in prisons and in public once again. They are now seeking their own religious recognition.

This is only to remind you we have enemies of the Gospel they are not all as apparent as some, but this one thing is still undeniable, when we see an individual feel conviction and change in their hearts, this is the one thing what we proclaim He will do. If it is freedom they seek then we have it, if its is eternal gratification and security, we have it, if it is a genuine hope and a guaranteed assurance of what they have done has been cleansed and washed away through the blood of Christ, then we have it.
Our proof is the provider, of whom we represent, this is undeniable power.

I want to thank all of you from my heart for your continuous donations and prayers, it is never easy but it is always rewarding and in due time we shall all reap an eternal reward that he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

May we all continue to believe as Daniel the prophet said, there is a God who revealeth secrets or a God who continues to work in the hearts of our citizens and societies socially rejected. A God who is active in the affairs of men, to answer and help them. He is faithful and so must we be.

We may not be the voices heard around the world but at least we are the voices heard in their world, the world within our grasp and in our communities.

May God Richly Bless you and Give you due reward for all you do,

Brian Hilts